Travel

There’s driving, and then there’s driving a car that thinks it’s a racer. Thing is, the Audi R8 has the credentials to back that up, born from an unmistakably noble family of champions and given the same name as a Le Mans winning sports car. For the 2017 R8, Audi turned to the same engineering team that developed the Nurburgring 24 Hours-winning R8 LMS race car, including half a shared parts bucket. It’s something I found hard to forget when Audi invited SlashGear to Portugal, to be among the first to try the new R8 on the track.

All United Airlines flights were grounded today, as a software glitch forced the company to put every trip on hold around the world. Described by the FAA as an "automation" issue, the problem was later referred to as one of "network connectivity" by United at approximately 9am ET, which said it was working on the fault. It's unclear at this stage how many travelers were affected by the grounded flights, which resumed at around 9:50am ET.

A new patent shows the Airbus company may be making an aircraft larger than its already largest air-ready vehicle. This patent application suggests that a double-decker airplane is once again in order, making way for more fuel economy as it carries just as many passengers, luggage, and otherwise "profitable cargo" across the planet. This airplane aims to improve upon the A380, the most talked-about Airbus airplane in the world today. Foldable seats that slide together and possible requirements for still-oversized jetways remain included.

The European Commission has announced that an agreement has been reached that will finally put an end to roaming charges within Europe on June 15th, 2017. That means in just under 2 years Europeans will be able to travel to other countries in the European Union (EU), and pay the same cell phone rates as they do at home. This includes countries like France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Poland, Austria, and many, many more.

I’m not going to lie, I feel pretty damn lucky to be one of a handful of American press with the privilege of experiencing Audi's Virtual Cockpit in the new TT/TTS and Q7. The opportunity to drive the TTS around Ascari racetrack was nothing short of exhilarating - especially with Virtual Cockpit getting me ready me for turns far in advance. Then, after experiencing Audi’s technology on the track, Audi invited me over to Verbier, Switzerland to test the all-new 2016 Q7, also equipped with Virtual Cockpit, in the way that most drivers will experience it.

We've all done it. Gone on vacation to escape from work and other responsibilities, yet we still can't help ourselves from checking email and responding to messages on our smartphone and other mobile devices. One luxury hotel in Germany wants to help its guests combat this behavior, not by forcefully denying WiFi and other internet access, but by providing a single, easy to access switch that will remove the temptation. Each room at the Villa Stéphanie has a silver internet kill switch.

As a follow-up to their new GoDrive car rental service in the UK, Ford has just announced a new pilot program that will let drivers lower their monthly car payments by renting out their Ford vehicle to others for short periods of time. They're calling the program Peer-2-Peer Car Sharing, and it will be tested in a handful of US cities. It aims to work much like ZipCar, allowing users to borrow a set of wheels for just a few hours if needed.

I'd wager that most of us have been traveling and spent a lot of time looking at weather reports trying to get an idea what conditions will be like at our destinations. The catch is that if you are used to warm or cold weather at your home, it can be hard to wrap your brain around just what conditions vastly different from what you are used to will feel like. The Arland airport in Stockholm, Sweden has three climate-controlled rooms that will show you exactly what the weather will feel like.

As one of the seven wonders of the world, India's Taj Mahal has become one of the latest tourist destinations to offer free WiFi to visitors. The service was launched as a result of a government programs that not only aims to attract more tourists, but also to spread internet access to a greater number of cities. Now visitors will have to 30 minutes of free network access, allowing them to post selfies to their favorite social networks.

There are plenty of reasons to have an American Express card in your wallet, but access to the growing number of Centurion Lounges in airports might be top of the list. Where airline lounges all too often drop a few stale pastries in a self-serve bin next to a coffee pot and a mini-fridge of Coke, American Express' take is an altogether more luxurious experience: real food, a curated wine list, seats you'd actually want to sit in, and even extras like an in-lounge spa. Latest to the list is Centurion Lounge Miami, at Miami International Airport.